Door-latch.



J. P. JOHNSON IL G. W. MAISON.

lDooR LATCH! APPLICATION FILED DEC27| 1915.

Patented Ap1-.9,191&

JEREMIAH P. JOHNSON ANI) GEORGE W. MASON,

FIO.

0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DOOR-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 31918.

Application led December 27, 1915. Serial No. 68,740. i

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, JEREMIAH P. J OHN* SON and GEORGE W. MASON, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Latches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to latches particularly designed for application to the doors of automobiles and other vehicles, and it is the object of the invention to obtain anexceedingly simple construction, efcient in its operation and one which can be manufactured at low cost.

In the drawings: v

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the latch as applied to an automobile door;

lig. 2 is an enlarged section therethrough; an

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the latch and keeper members respectively.

A is the door frame and B is the adjacent frame of the body. O is a keeper which is attached to the body-frame and has a projecting portion D with a-beveled forward face E. F is a recessed plate attached to the door frame, the recess being adapted to re. ceive the projecting portion D of the keeper in the closed position of the door. G is a bent rod having a portion G extending upward through an aperture H in the recessed ortion of the plate F, said portion G havmg a beveled face G2. The rod G is also provided with an upwardlyextending portion G3, which passes through the top rail of the door frame and is threaded to engage a knob I. J is a sleeve or thimble fittin 1n an aperture in the top rail A of the oor frame, being apertured in the bottom for the passage of the rod Gr8 and at its upper'end receiving the shank of the knob I. K is a spring sleeved upon the portion G3 of the rod G arranged within the sleeve or thimble J and having its upper end bearing against the rod I.

With the construction as described, the spring K will normally draw the rod G upward so as to project the portion G into the recess F and in the path of the beveled projection D of the keeper. When, however, the door is slammed -shut the beveled faces of the member D and the portion G will cause the depression of the latter against the tension of the spring K until the member D passes beyond the portion G and the latter 1s free to be raised by the spring K. In this position the door will be etiectually locked, but it may at any time be released by the de ression of the rod I which lowers the rod and withdraws the portion G from the path of the keeper D.

What we claim as our invention is The combination with an automobile body and door, of a keeper projecting from said body, a member secured to said door and having a recess adapted to receive said keeper when the door is closed, said member having a guiding hole therein, a rod having a portion extending 'from below through said hole into said recess, an offset portion and an operating portion extending upwardly to the top rail of said door, means for normally raising 'said rod through said guide hole into the path of said keeper, said keeper and rod having coperating beveled faces lfor depressing the rod upon the closing of` the door.

In testimony whereof we aiiX or signatures in presence of two witnesses.

J EREMIAH P. JOHNSON. GEORGE IV. MASON.

Witnesses.;

JAMESP'. BARRY, .PHYLLIs OOBURN. 

